Windshield heater



Spt. 8, 1931- E. J. GALLAGHER, JR

WINDSHIELD HEATER Filed April 5, 1930 UKE@ ATTORNEY Patented Sept: 8, 1931 EDWARD J. GALLAGTIER, JR.,

ori-*ICE F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND WINDSHIELD HEATER Application led April 5,

This invention relates to a windshield heater, the general object of the invention being to provide a housing having an electric coil therein, with one edge of the housing open and its other edge having perforations therein so that air can pass through the housing and' be heated by the element, with means for-supporting the housing adjacent a windshield or other member so that said windshield will be heated by the air passing from the housing and thus snow and ice will hbe preventedl from accumulating thereon. y

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, tobe hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings' and' specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention inv detail, reference lwill be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout thev several views, and 1n which i Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a windshield, showing the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device and part of the windshield. A

Figure 3 is a rear view of the device.

Figure 4isa longitudinal sectional view shwing a modification. y y

Figure 5 is aV transverse sectional lview Ythrough Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View through a modified form `oit' device and throu h a part of a transparent member.

Re erring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 1 indicates a housing made in the form of a channel shaped member with its open side directed toward the transparent member A of a windshield or thelike. An arm 2 has one end pivotally connected to an end of the member 1 by a pin 3, the pin being insulated from. the members 1 and 2, as shown at 4, and the other end of the member 2 is pivotally connected to a bracket 5 attached to a part of the windshield frame,

50 by a pin 6. .This pin is also insulated from rent to the conductor 16 is turned on, curber A and melt any ice or snow thereon.

1930. l -serial No. 441,951.

the member 2, as shown at 7. The free' end of the member 1 is closed, as shown at 8, and this end carries a pin 9 which has a handle 1() of non-conducting material attached to its outer end and a pad 11 connected to its 56 inner end, this pad being adapted to engage the transparent member A so as to hold the member 1 slightly spaced from said transparent member.v

A coil 12 has one end connected to the pin 9 and its other end to the pin 3 and a conductor strip 13 is carried by the arm 2 and is insulated therefrom by the strip 14 of insulating material, this conductorl strip 13V being connected with the pins 3 and 6. A clip 15 is connected with the strip 13 and receives a conductor 16 which leads to the battery or other source of supply. Thus when the switchv which controls the flow of current will How from the conductor through l the strip 13, the pin 3 into the coil 12 and will pass through the .pin 9, the members 1 and 2 to the bracket, which is grounded. Thus the coil will be heated and the heat from the coil will cause a circulation of air throughrthe perforations 17 in the rear face of the member 1 and through the member and this air will strike the transparent mem- This form of the device is mainly designed for use' on the inside face of a windshield. In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing 1 preferably slopes from its center toward its front and rear edges, and has its rear' edge open and its front edgeof oncaved shape, as shown at 18. Perforations (T9 are formed in this concaved part so that air .will enter the housing through the perfoi-ations as the vehicle travels along. The air, as it passes through the housing, is heated by the electric coil 20 which is connected with the terminals 21 at the ends of the housing and which are insulated from the housing, as at 22. The upper terminal is connected in any suitable manner with a source of supply and the lower end ofthe coil is grounded on a part of the housing. A curved plate 23 is arranged in the front part of the housing and is spaced from the concaved part 18 and has perfora- 100 tions 24 therein forv thefpassage ofthe air. A member 25 extends across the housing adj acent the open rear edge thereof, this member having the two rows of perforations 26 therein for the passage of the air from the housing and said member is formed with the channeled-central part 27 to receive a partition Y member 28which contacts the vtransparent member of the windshield and acts to divide the` streams of air passing through the perforations 26. This member may form a wiper and 'it also acts to prevent air currents from passing between the windshield and the housing, which might act to prevent the heated air from properly contacting the windshield to melt the ice and snow therefrom.

Thus as the vehicle travels along, air will pass through the perforations 19 and 24 and .be heated by the coil 2O and will'` then pass through the two rows of perforations 26 and thus strikethe windshield in two streams to melt the ice and snow therefrom.

' In the modification shown in Figure 6, the device, shown generally at 29,is similar to that e., shown in Figures 4 and 5, with the exceptionl that the partition plates 23 and 25 are removed.

In the device shown in Figure 6 and that shown in Figures 4 and 5, the air is forced` through the perforations in the front edge of the member bythe forward movement of the vehicle when the device is arranged in front of the windshield and, of course, the heating of the air in the housing also causes a circula- 35 tion of the air. through the housing. A,

As shown in Figure 4, the device is pivoted 'to an arm 30 which is pivoted to a suitable support so that'tle device can be oscillated Y over a transparent member and the lower end 40 of the device has a handle 31 attached thereto for facilitating the movement of the device.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advan ges and novel features of the invention will e readily apparent.

5 v It is to be understood that changes may be made ino the construction' andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

50 What I claim is j A heating device for the transparent panel of a windshield or the like, comprising an arm pivoted atone edge of the panel to lie parallel therewith, an elongated channeled hous.-

mi4 ingopen at the side next to the panelv and having a perforated opposite side,'a pivot connecting the housingto." the arm whereby' the said housing fnay be swung independently of the' swingng movement of the arm, a hand oo hold on the housing, and an electric heating coil coextensive with and within the housing for confronting relation to Cthe panel through the open side of 'said housing;

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

es EDWARD J. GALLAGHER, JR. 

